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UPDATE, April 23: The 2020 NFL Draft kicks off this evening, and the Raiders are one team that probably won’t draft a quarterback in the first round, but could still surprise us. Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota are competing for the starting job, but neither seems like a long-term answer. Carr remains the favorite to start in Week 1 although his odds lengthened slightly from -500 to -400. Marcus Mariota remains +350, but now we see Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa installed at +2000. It seems unlikely, but if he slips or the Raiders want to move up with their extra first round pick, it’s a possibility. Here are the odds heading into Draft night.
Derek Carr: -400
Marcus Mariota: +350
Tua Tagovailoa: +2000
Nathan Peterman: +6600
DeShone Kizer: +10000
Derek Carr might’ve put up career numbers across the board last year, but he’ll have some competition for the Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback job in 2020. Las Vegas has signed former Tennessee Titans signal caller Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal in an attempt to push Carr ahead of the upcoming season, and he just might win out in the end. DraftKings Sportsbook is taking bets on who the Raiders start in Week 1, and we break down the odds here.
Carr (-500) is the favored to retain his starting spot after posting 4,054 passing yards with 21 touchdowns while completing 70.4 percent of his attempts. Not bad considering that Antonio Brown walked out on the team shortly before the 2019 season began. Las Vegas will likely bring one of the best wideouts in the 2020 draft class to help Carr in his third year playing under head coach Jon Gruden. He knows the system better and wasn’t recently benched for poor performance like Mariota.
Mariota (+350) lost his job to Ryan Tannehill last season after making just six starts, and now he’s looking for a second chance. He’s younger than Carr and provides the kind of mobility that could add a new wrinkle to Las Vegas’ offense. Could Mariota’s legs be enough to convince Gruden that he’s a better fit for the team than Carr?
Nathan Peterman (+6600) and DeShone Kiser (+8000) are long shots and likely won’t be in the conversation at all. It’s a two horse race in Las Vegas, and the incumbent has an edge for now.
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